IT'S UP TO YOU

"Programmed is 100 per cent committed to the pursuit of gender equity in pay and jobs.

As a business, this means that we are recruiting the best people into our team from the entire population, not just 50 per cent of it. We also know that a diverse team makes better decisions.

However, to achieve our goal we need to drive further change across society.

A significant factor as to why the gender pay gap exists, is because there are many highly paid jobs in occupations such as trades, engineering, and IT; which are mainly performed by men.

Young girls, shaped by their parents, teachers and society, do not choose to undertake many of these occupations which can offer higher pay and greater flexibility throughout one’s working life.

By the time they reach high school, they have already determined that they do not want to undertake many great jobs because of social and cultural norms.

This leads us to the current situation where women on average earn 23 per cent less than men, have little savings for retirement, and can find themselves stuck in a dysfunctional relationship due to a lack of financial independence.

It’s the things we SAY…. and DO …. that make young girls believe these great jobs are only for boys.

We must change our own behaviours and improve the actions of others so that girls consider, and take on careers like a painter, electrician or a systems engineer; just like girls can play AFL.